Andreas Vollenweider Cosmopoly Longtime fans of composer and harpist Andreas Vollenweider may be surprised by his latest CD offering. Cosmopoly marks a noticeable departure for Vollenweider. As the title suggests, Cosmopoly is a musical journey around the world and exhibits a lot of world music influences - from Celtic fiddles to Latin - tinged jazz, from Asian - style vocals and instrumentation to frame drumming. Vollenweider also incorporates stylized vocal meanderings of such longtime pals and pop icons Carly Simon and Bobby McFerrin. This eclectic collection of pieces travels a vast musical landscape and reflects the artist's ever increasing repertoire of styles and influences. Not your "usual" Vollenweider recording but sure to appeal to a wide audience.
- CS

      Mysterious, intense, exotic... these are words to describe Troika's fourth release, Shaman. With music composed by the masterful David Arkenstone, Troika's enchanting synthesizer, ethereal flute, and driving percussion weave a spell too powerful to ignore. Speaking of mysteries, Troika chooses to reveal nothing about themselves as individuals so that the focus will be on their music instead of their personalities. All I can tell you is that they're a West Coast trio who are apparently very secure in their egos. With talent like theirs, who can blame them? Shaman is lush, tropical, dark, sensuous. The percussion is especially good, with sounds of box drums, rattles, djembes, Native American drums and wooden xylophones. Troika's aim is to take the listener "on an inner journey to the mystical and powerful world of the shaman." I can't imagine better guides.
- KS

      Miriam In her first solo effort, Miriam Stockley, lead singer of Karl Jenkins' Adiemus and back - up vocalist for artists such as Elton John and David Bowie, has produced a sublimely beautiful recording. From her eclectic selection of songs to her impeccably crafted vocals, Miriam treats her listeners to an aural repast. Because it covers such a wide territory, blending so many musical styles and cultural influences, Miriam's recording is almost beyond categorization. What sets this work apart from other inaugural solo efforts is Miriam's crystalline, almost celestial voice, her mastery of multilayered harmonies, and her powerful emotional delivery. Her cover of Peter Gabriel's song Mercy Street is both haunting and evocative. Miriam also includes selections clearly influenced by African and Celtic music. The best word to describe Miriam's Narada release would be "tapestry" - a tapestry of varied songs and exquisitely beautiful vocals.
- CS

      The musical soul of the new South Africa comes through with passion in Zulu Heartbeat by Mamelung. The music, written by members of the group, are about a wide range of daily experiences. In Sapheli Sizwe, the theme is the disastrous effect of the AIDS epidemic and a call for people to take precautions. "Umuwehla" is about the beauty of South Africa when seen from the air. Several of the songs are about values such as being hospitable to strangers because you might find yourself in the same condition one day, or the need to support a new leader, or the importance of resolving differences. The themes are serious, but the music is lyrical, upbeat, infectiously happy. The harmony in the choral sections is incredible. The instrumentation is sophisticated; the sound is BIG. This is the music for days when the blues threaten to pull you down. You cannot stay depressed while listening to Zulu Heartbeat. It's like taking a Happy Pill!
- KS

      In the summertime our thoughts often turn to travel, to fantasies of distant journeys and exotic landscapes. Midori's latest recording, Bali, transports listeners to this remarkable and religiously diverse island - with its carved Hindu temples, Buddhist shrines, Moslem mosques, active volcanoes, sculptured rice terraces, decorative flower and fruit offerings, and its extraordinarily spiritual people. "Midori" is a chosen artist's name and the name of a very rare Japanese koi carp. Midori, a native of Chile, chose the name because of his love of the spiritual and cleansing power of water gardens and temples. Midori's fascination with Bali is understandable since Bali is surrounded by water, and the original animistic religion of the Balinese people is the "religion of holy water." The lovely melodies of this recording are filled with wood flutes, wind chimes, dragon drums, and the naturals sounds of birds, fountains, and the ocean. Midori also incorporates traditional instrumentation of the gamelan orchestra, and he combines influences from several cultures including China, Malaysia, and India. A gorgeous recording suitable for meditation, movement such as Tai Chi or yoga, and bodywork.
- CS

    This one rocks! Bob Holroyd's A Different Space is a shimmy - shakin', blues-breakin', thundering blend of global electronics and complex Afro - Cuban beats. This music smokes! The first track, "Drumming Up a Storm," will launch you out of your chair to dance. The album features the underground UK club classic, "African Drug (original tribal mix)" and a wide range of ambient atmospherics and rhythmic tribal beats. Englishman Bob Holroyd's approach to sound has been described as "omnivorous," and with good reason. He mixes electronica and live instruments, big band brass sections with African call - and - response vocals, Asian singing and Western Opera. He combines African choral singing, tribal beats, and modern dance rock. But don't worry that this is just a mish - mash of sounds. It's clearly evident that there's a chef behind this gumbo!
- KS

      With a voice as sweet as a young girl's, Malian vocalist Rokia Traore weaves a trancelike web in her second album, Wanita. The daughter of a diplomat, she was exposed to the music of Algeria, Saudi Arabia, France, and Belgium in her formative years. Traore grew up listening to the music of the kora and the balafon, but her music is fully contemporary. Though she is only twenty five years old, she has developed her own unique style in a country replete with fine musicians. She is already being billed as the voice of a new generation of African artists, and she is the protege of the great Ali Farka Toure. A modern young African woman, she sings in honor of women and about society in Mali today. Singing in her native Bamanan, her lilting, delicate voice is both sweet and intense. She is backed by balafon, djembe, n'goni, and electric bass. The result is spirited, beautiful, and mesmerizing. Traore's music shimmers!
- KS

      Kathryn Tickell's Debateable Lands takes us to a border region between Scotland and England that was claimed by both, a bleak and beautiful place that became a haven for outlaws. With Northumbrian hornpipe jigs, Irish tunes, and her own original compositions, she offers an instrumental introduction to this region. We hear a jig called "The Wedding" for a rousing start, and savor other highlights like "Kilfenora/My laddie sits ower late up" and my personal favorite, "In Dispraise of Whisky/Swig Jig." Instrumentation on the album showcases Uilleann and Northumbrian pipes. It's easy to imagine castles on smoky hills and waves dashing against jagged shores when you close your eyes and let Tickell's music wrap around you. Highly recommended.
- KS

      A truly outstanding new disc, Niya Yesh by Axiom of Choice, "is based on the quarter - tone guitar, traditional Persian vocals, and various native percussion instruments." Niya Yesh, gnosis in Greek, means "a spiritual oneness and knowledge." Axiom of Choice is an international group with varied musical backgrounds. They use many Persian instruments such as the kamancheh (spike fiddle!), setar (Persian lute), tombak (Pesian goblet-shaped drum), and ney (cane flute), in addition to harmonium, tampura, cello, and many other percussion instruments. This is the kind of music you would expect to accompany The Arabian Nights - exotic, romantic, rhythmic, mystical. Mamak Khadem, the featured vocalist, is one of the few female vocalists in Iran (where female vocalists have a limited scope) to both preserve tradition and explore further. Her voice is amazingly evocative of deep emotions. She has studied with some of the finest Persian vocalists, as well as studying the classical Indian and Bulgarian traditions. Her solo on "Greener Than God's Dream" is sublime; it speaks straight to the heart with aching beauty. Niya Yesh is extraordinary! Highly recommended
- KS

      "I sing my first phrase into the open hatch. I listen. A mysterious, shimmering reflection of my voice returns." This quote from the liner notes of Water Birth is a perfect introduction to the music of Lee Ellen Shoemaker, The Tunnel Singer. Recorded in a two - million gallon cistern at Port Townsend, Washington, Shoemaker's hauntingly beautiful voice is enhanced by the cistern's 45 - second natural acoustic reverberation. The music is purely her voice, with no electronic enhancement of the reverberation. There are no recognizable words. Shoemaker's only accompaniment is a flight of geese and a few raucous ravens. The result is unlike anything I've ever heard - eerie, introspective, lovely. The closest thing to this sound that I can imagine is a solo by a young soprano in the Vienna Boys Choir, sung with the acoustics of a cathedral. However, the reverberations add a whole new dimension. Water Birth would be lovely for ritual, meditation, healing, or yoga. The CD ranks in Top 20 Lists on many New Age stations and has received extensive airplay on radio and Internet broadcasts. Bill Binkelman of Wind and Wire says, " ... it's sublime." For a most unusual listening experience, try the otherworldly, spiritual sounds of Water Birth.
- KS